In the nature of things (big
Club, Interviewer living in a silly place, some members not able to attend
many events) there are people whose paths haven’t crossed. Ian and I have
not met. It was Jim McWhinnie who suggested Ian as a suitable candidate
for interview. I will admit to conducting this one at a distance. He rang
me after receiving a list of questions. We had a long, very enjoyable
chat and now I feel as if I know him. I remember well how difficult it
is to combine a busy job, having a young family and going to lots of events.
There must be many Carnethy members in that position. I hope you enjoy
reading Ian’s replies as much as I did. With luck, we may be out together
in the hills soon.
When you spoke on the phone
it was clear you were Irish. I come from Belfast. I enjoyed
lots of sports at school. I had a childhood love (and still have) of Arthur
Ransome and consequently bought a boat, when a boy, and taught myself
to sail. My love of music led to my career. I studied at the Royal Academy
of Music, then worked as an oboist in London (and played Irish pub music)
for ten years. The oboe in an Irish pub??
No, uilleann pipes, tin whistle, bodhran and accordion.
I am now a school music teacher. I have just done a couple
of oboe gigs in the Edinburgh festival.
You have a young family.
I have two children, a girl aged 11 and a boy of 4 with my partner, Melanie.
Music is central for you - what
about dancing ? I dislike dancing almost as much as watching
others, unless they are really good or original. On the other hand I am
a big fan of ballet. That’s very Irish.
But you are obviously a fine musician, you like
popular music – how can you keep your feet still when the rhythm picks
up? I find if I remain seated I can move my feet without spilling
my drink. .
How did you discover the
hills and mountains? My grandfather had a cottage in the Mourne
Mountains, which, with help from Arthur Ransom again, fostered a fascination
with hills. I spotted the potential of the Scottish Highlands after a
trip to Balmoral, when visiting the Edinburgh Festival in 1970.
You weren’t running then?
No, it was backpacking in the Cairngorms and climbing in Skye.
Serious climbing? I thought it was serious then but it probably
wasn’t. Inevitably an interest in wildlife follows any trip to the Highlands
and Islands.
Why Edinburgh?
Finding I was spending five hiking holidays a year in Scotland, I decided
it was time to move north and ended up in Edinburgh. I keep returning
to the same areas and only slowly discover more. Watch out for the "Frost’s
Tables" as an antidote to Munros.
And then you discovered hill
running? I was caught up in the enthusiasm of a fellow climber
in Fort William as he returned from his first Ben Nevis race. It sounded
such a brilliant idea. I ran the Seven Hills, unattached, then the Pentland
Skyline and the Lairig Ghru as my introduction to hill running.
Gulp! I see you decided to start in a small way.
Why Carnethy? I
joined Carnethy to race "legitimately" and to meet kindred spirits.
Dave Peck passed me the information via my partner Melanie, who worked
with Dave and with Ann Curtis – consequently no other club got a mention.
Are there others? How did you meet Jim?
Probably on one of Nigel’s early epics. I thoroughly enjoyed Jim’s company
when the two of us spent an idyllic 3 days running over the Monadh Liath
in a heat wave.
Tell me about your training
regime and any special diet. Training varies between spasmodic
to non-existent.. I try to be sensible about food and try to support organic
matters when practicable, but I am devoted to quantity, fat and alcohol
– and have a history of nicotine use. Do you
have a valid excuse for idleness? Well, I am rarely free of
family commitments before 9 pm and running enthusiasm has waned by then,
especially at this time of year. If there is anyone out there, living
in the Morningside to Fairmilehead area who has similar problems and wishes
to train late evenings or early mornings (6 am?) do
get in touch. A firm arrangement is often all the motivation
that is needed. I found a commitment to a Karrimor
or something like that works wonders for motivation!!
Have you any injury problems?
I used to have very troublesome knees with operations in the
pipeline but I am pain-free at the moment, probably due to low current
mileage.
What about sports other
than those you have mentioned? Dinghy racing. Ski-mountaineering.
I am a (bad) golfer. I used to rent the J.M.C.S. hut by Loch Coruisk with
parties from London and watch the odd yacht arrive in Loch Scavaig and
dream of combining West Coast cruising with rock climbing. In the eighties
this became a regular reality – anchoring in uninhabited areas and attempting
remote routes.
Describe your favourite
type of run. Long trail runs and journeys as sponsored by
Nigel Rose (good routes, company and crack). My favourite race is the
Lairig Ghru (this year I ran it both ways) and the Scottish Islands Peaks
Race is great fun with the right team and sufficient malt.
And you gave me the impression you trained on beer and fags!
Is there a perfect race
that you would add to the calendar of events? The "Tour
d’Ecosse", a multi-stage endurance mountain race in the style of
the Tour de France, for 10 days or so, covering 300 miles.
Brilliant! That could be across Scotland and back, or a full traverse
south to north. When is it starting?
Do you run outside Scotland?
I usually take my kit on holiday and generally run where we
end up - Snowdonia this summer. I don’t travel much specially to run.
There is so much here on the doorstep (by which I mean most of Scotland).
You sound like me. It has to be something very
special to get me away from Scotland. There are several lifetimes of interest
here.
What is your most satisfying
athletic achievement? The first of three successive West Highland
Ways. I loved (almost) every minute of it. There have also been some very
satisfying sailing moments like the European Championships and the odd
sailing trophy.
Tell me how you feel about
access to the Scottish hills. I go almost wherever I want,
whilst attempting to avoid confrontation. Though I may follow the R.S.P.B
recommendations and ease back on my annual pilgrimage to the capercaillie
lecks, in the interests of preservation. Yes,
I gather that the population of capercaillie, like many other species,
is crashing just now. Access seems to be satisfactory at the
moment, though in some areas organised guerilla warfare might be justified.
It is important and rewarding to keep in touch with all hill users.
Are you worried by ‘development’
in the wilderness areas? I am in favour of green technology
and not only in the natural environment. I recently visited the Centre
for Alternative Technology in Wales and saw lots of common sense ideas.
The difficulty is persuading an acquisitive society to consume less before
it’s too late. Unfortunately, our affluence and comforts seem to depend
on the destructive nature of consumerism. I am deeply suspicious of "developers"
and not just in rural areas.
Have you had any life-threatening
experiences in the hills? Yes, but of no interest to anyone
but myself and others involved (one psychically). I enjoy the maxim that
"experience is the sum of our near misses".
How do you view the risks
of running in the hills? I tend to ignore them when out but
before and after worry that my ambition of self-sufficiency is compromised
by the flimsy clothing we wear and carry, and the moisture we produce.
I think I have become more cautious with parenthood or age (or both) as
awareness increases (and near misses or experience happen).
Do you think safety is an important part of race organisation?
It would be a pity if concerns for safety increased in what is a delightfully
minimalist pastime. Races are very safe compared to, for example, solo
runs. I hope our blame-seeking society does not extend further into voluntary
adventure activities. It would be wrong to be too cosseted in the self-indulgent
world of sport.
Who are your heroes?
Gavin Maxwell, Kathleen Ferrier, Mozart, Rudolph Nureyev and Nelson Mandela.
(I notice only one is alive). Oh, and as I listen to the wireless, Dietrich
Fischer-Dieskau. Is that the guy you told me
about who has recorded fourteen different cd’s of the same piece of music?
That’s him. Forgive a Philistine
– is he an oboist? No, a singer. The recordings span nearly
thirty years. Significantly, the songs are about a journey, so perhaps
his recordings will never be complete.
What are you reading now?
I am re-reading ‘Lords of the Atlas’ by Gavin Maxwell. I enjoy biographies
and real life romances. Often a reference in a book will send me rushing
to the library in search of a vaguely related one. I read less and less
fiction, except for Jane Austin. O n the phone
you mentioned "Goodbye Bafana" and your connection with Nelson
Mandela. Talk about that. A London friend was the son of one
of Mandela’s co-conspirators. I worked for the family when they fled the
country (the father was not released from Robben Island for many years).
He was my companion on my first Cairgorm trip, so I was well instructed
in the affairs of the African National Congress. I was also part of the
European support for the ANC in the Seventies.
Amazing! In Iceland recently, we were discussing how many people you had
to know to have a connection with everyone. The population there is 250,000;
if everyone knows 50 people, any individual is only two steps away from
knowing everyone. Someone said we’re only two or three steps away from
a famous person anywhere in the World but I didn’t believe it.
Where does your motivation
and enthusiasm come from? From talking to people like you,
viewing a skyline of hills, seeing the sun, looking at maps and planning
the next outing or holiday. I love being out running and feel great afterwards
but once it becomes dark I have difficulty making the first step through
the door.
Give me your thoughts on SAF
and Big Organisation. Simply, I comfort myself that whatever
muddles the associations create, one can always get out with a few chums
for a run. We could join English clubs to race in Scotland!
You must have dreams and ambitions.
Will you talk about them? Ambition – another West Highland
Way at age 50, in 2002 – the last one was at 40. And the Skye ridge direct.
You mean in a oner? Yes, I’ve done
all the bits but never the whole thing in a single day. Must have a crack
at a British Senior sailing championship. So,
you are now committed in public!
Anything you feel strongly about
that I haven’t asked? I think the cost of fuel is too low.
The whole trucking business is simply greed. The cost of transportation
is passed on to the consumer, who is happily spending more than ever on
goods brought across the World, at massive harm to the environment. Most
households have no problem filling up two car tanks whenever they feel
like it.
What will you be doing
in 2010? By then the children will be old enough to allow
me to get out running more. I wonder if I will?
Well, if you are still a member of Carnethy, there’s no doubt you will.
Whom should I interview
next? Nelson Mandela. We may need to give him honorary membership.
How’s about proposing that at the next AGM?
Ok! Has Nigel Rose been "done"?
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